“After two decades of work in the criminal justice system, I’ve witnessed the extremes of human behavior, depravity to redemption,” author James L’Etoile has noted of his former career. “The stories I write are influenced by firsthand encounters with gang leaders, drug traffickers, serial murderers, and those who face them every day. Prisons, jails, and tight-knit criminal operations on the street exist with a unique flavor and culture. I strive to bring a piece of that experience alive in the stories I write.”

L’Etoile spent 29 years working in the California prison system, including as an associate warden for a maximum-security facility, a hostage negotiator and director of California’s state parole system. However, after retiring he began establishing a whole second life as an intriguing wordsmith dedicated realistic plots and tales of gritty realism. His titles have been released by Oceanview Publishing, the latest of which is “River of Lies.”

L’Etoile’s newest tome is the second entry in his Detective Emily Hunter series. In it, an arson outbreak in Sacramento’s homeless camps becomes politically charged when two victims are identified as a social worker and the city’s former mayor. The plot revolves around the question of whether Detective Hunter can overcome political pressure, along with her personal struggle with an Alzheimer’s-stricken mother, to stop the attacks.

Author T. Jefferson Parker has called “River of Lies “a tour de force thriller by a talented and observant storyteller. Brooding, heartfelt and powerful.”

Face in a Book bookstore in El Dorado Hills will be hosting a release event for “River of Lies” on Saturday, Jan. 11 between 3 and 5 p.m. L’Etoile will be there to greet the public and sign books, while the store will offer a fun afternoon of food, drink and trivia.

Face in a Book is located at 4359 Town Center Blvd, #113.